Lafourche voters reject tax swap to pay for jail

Lafourche Parish voters rejected a measure Saturday that would have taken property tax money that currently goes to public libraries and used it to build a new jail.

Jacob BatteStaff Writer

Lafourche Parish voters rejected a measure Saturday that would have taken property tax money that currently goes to public libraries and used it to build a new jail.The parishwide proposal failed by a vote of 56 percent, or 4,601 ballots cast, to 44 percent, or 3,958, according to complete but unofficial results from the Secretary of State's Office. Turnout on the issue was 15 percent."Obviously, we're very happy with the results. We tried very hard to get the word out that losing this funding would affect the libraries and our daily operations," Library Director Laura Sanders said. Lafourche Council Chairman Lindel Toups, an outspoken advocate for the tax change, said he was "at a loss for words.""I guess we're going to get our brains together and try to come up with another figure," Toups said of the outcome. "We can't give up we've got to do something."The measure aimed to rededicate a portion of a 3.8-mill property tax that goes to library construction, maintenance and operations. One of the 3.8 mills would go toward the construction and operation of a jail to replace the current one, which one consultant said is in the worst condition of any jail he's seen.Toups said parish officials failed to present their case to the voters. "I don't know what we're going to do now. I guess people want to pay new taxes," Toups said. Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph agreed that the parish government and council were not on the same page as the voters. "When the Lafourche Parish Legislative Internal Auditor Tommy Lasseigne proposed the rededication of the library funds last year to partially fund a new detention center, the council concurred. The vote Saturday indicated that the voters of Lafourche did not agree," Randolph said. The libraries receive about $800,000 from the tax, which makes up 11 percent of its $6.4-million budget. If the measure had passed, the Gheens library would have been closed and daily operating hours would have dropped from 10 to eight, Sanders said. Jail consultant Mike Leblanc, of MWL Architects in Lafayette, recommended the parish build a 540-bed jail next to the current jail, at a cost of $25 million. Randolph has said the jail's poor condition is on the verge of federal intervention, but despite the result of the election the parish will continue to promote safety in the parish. "Nothing will change as a result of today's vote. We will continue to work with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, the District Attorney and the courts to protect Lafourche," Randolph said. The Parish Council has struggled for several years to find money to build a new jail, but the jail is not devoid of money. In 2012, the council allocated $400,000 for the jail and the 2014 proposed budget includes $600,000 for the jail.Campaigns for and against the measure were heated and often resulted in public arguments between members of the parish government and library employees, with each side questioning the legality of the others' campaign tactics. "Thank God it's all over. I've had enough, I'm not a politician, I don't ever want to be one and I'm glad I can go back to being a library director," Sanders said. Lafourche Parish District Attorney Cam Morvant said any violations were minor and quickly corrected after his office met with each side regarding campaign laws. Earlier this week Toups came under fire when he criticized the library for its services.Toups was quoted by the Tri-Parish Times as saying, "They're teaching Mexicans how to speak English. ... Let that son of a bitch go back to Mexico. There's just so many things they're doing that I don't agree with. ... Them junkies and hippies and food stamps (recipients) and all, they use the library to look at drugs and food stamps (on the Internet). I see them do it."In an interview Thursday, Toups said he believed he was speaking off the record and denies saying "son of a bitch" but stands by his other comments. He has since recanted the statement. "(The Tri-Parish Times) editor called me up and said they're going to retract it, but it's too late. The reporter was trying to get his name out there," Toups said. "I'll take the blame for it, but it's not all on me." Public officials including Morvant, Sanders and Lafourche Parish NAACP President Burnell Tolbert have criticized Toups for his comments. Sanders said the negative publicity that Toups' comments incurred helped the libraries in the election. "I don't really know how the comments affected the election, but I do think it was affected. I could lie and tell you that it didn't affect it. I think it helped our side a great deal," Sanders said. In the only other Lafourche Parish election, 78 percent voted to renew the 8-mills dedicated to the Central Lafourche Ambulance District for another 10 years.

Staff Writer Jacob Batte can be reached at 448-7635 or jacob.batte@dailycomet.com. Follow him on Twitter @ja_batte